Governor Cooper Announces Appointments to North Carolina Boards and Commissions

“These appointees bring years of experience to serving communities across our state,” said Gov. Cooper. “I’m thankful for their dedication and their willingness to serve the people of North Carolina.”

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina State Health Coordination Council:

*Pat Leonard of Carolina Beach as a member at-large. Leonard is the vice chancellor of Student Affairs at the UNC-Wilmington. She is a voting member of the American College Personnel Association and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Leonard previously served on the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees.

*Dr. Dwight Perry of Durham as a member at-large. Perry is an attending ophthalmologist at the North Carolina Specialty Hospital and an ophthalmologist at North Carolina Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat, PA. he is a member of the American Medical Association and a fellow with the American College of Surgeons.

*Stephen DeBiasi of Wilmington as a member at-large. DeBiasi serves as both co-CEO and chief executive officer of the Wilmington Region of EmergeOrtho. He is a member of the American Association of Orthopaedic Executives and a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. DeBiasi is a board member and secretary of United Cerebral Palsy.

*Jim Martin, Jr. of Hickory as a representative of nursing homes. Martin is the CEO and board chair of Tullock Management Company, which manages a small chain of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in the state. Additionally, he chairs the board of the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association. Commissioner Tonya McDaniel of Winston-Salem as a county government representative. McDaniel is a Forsyth County commissioner. She is also the human resources director of United Health Centers and second vice chair of the Winston-Salem NAACP

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Board of Funeral Service:

*Hubert Saunders of Jacksonville as a licensee not affiliated with any funeral service trade association. Saunders own and operates Saunders Funeral with his wife and serves on the Coastal Carolina Bank & Trust Board of Directors.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Domestic Violence Commission:

*Shelby Benton of Goldsboro as a NC Bar Association member who studied domestic violence. Benton is a certified specialist in family law and has been practicing for over two decades. She serves as the president-elect of the North Carolina Bar Association and is a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina College Foundation Incorporated Board of Trustees:

*Hugh Holston of Greensboro as a member at-large. Holston was director of Life and Customer Solutions at Lincoln Financial Group. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina School of Science and Math and on the Board of Directors of the Greensboro Housing Coalition.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina:

*Ajit Sivadasan of Cary as a member at-large. Sivadasan is vice president and general manager of Global eCommerce, Digital Marketing and Platform at Lenovo. Additionally, he is a member of the Industry Advisory Council at the Peter Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate School.

*Joy Vermillion Heinsohn as a member at-large. Heinsohn is the assistant director for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. She has served on the Board of Trustees and Board of Visitors of Wake Forest University, the NC Equal Access to Justice Commission and the Board of the Environmental Grantmakers Association.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Emergency Response Commission:

*Chief Eddie M. Buffaloe of Elizabeth City as a chief of police. Buffaloe also serves as the Sergeant-at-Arms for the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police and is a member of the North Carolina Executives Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

*Kevin Staley of Charlotte as a representative of EMS. Staley is the deputy director of the Mecklenburg EMS Agency in Charlotte. He was appointed by the United States Secretary of Transportation to the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council and served as chair of the education and workforce committee.

*Mayor Jerry VeHaun of Woodfin as a representative of emergency managers. VeHaun has served as the director of Buncombe County Emergency Management for more than four decades and as mayor of Woodfin since 2003. He is an internationally certified emergency manager.

*Ross Bulla of Denver as a private citizen. Bulla is the founder and president of The Treadstone Group, Inc., a firm that focuses on security and intellectual property rights. Bulla has served as a volunteer professional in the rescue, EMS, and fire services.

*Garry McCormick of Charlotte as a representative affiliated with the production, storage or transportation of hazardous materials. McCormick was a member of the Charlotte Fire Department for two decades and currently serves as an adjunct instructor at the Charlotte Fire Department Training Academy. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the North Carolina Emergency Management Association, and the North Carolina Association of Hazmat Responders.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service:

*Devonte Wilson of West End as a member selected among local educators. Wilson teaches sixth grade at Southern Middle School. He worked on the UNCG Global Leadership Program as well as the Greensboro Big Brothers Big Sisters. Wilson received a UNCG Gold Leadership Medallion and an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Tuskegee Airman Medal.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Board of Chiropractic Examiners:

*Lourdes Caballero of Greenville as a public member. Caballero works at Maxima Services LLC providing education services for the community. She is a member of the Citizen Police Academy in Greenville and is certified in OSHA safety and health, and FA/CPR/AED/blood-borne pathogens.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Council for Women:

*Elsa María Jiménez Salgado of Cary as a member at-large. Salgado is a professional translator and founder of the translation company, English to Spanish Raleigh. She serves as the vice president of the Mexican Global Network (Raleigh Chamber), and as the secretary of the NC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Board of Directors:

*Todd Morse of Lake Lure as a representative of the private sector. Morse was the fourth-generation owner and president of Chimney Rock Company, a family-owned business. He served as chair of the North Carolina Arboretum Board of Directors, co-founder and president of the Lake Lure Community Education Foundation, and member of the Lake Lure Classical Academy Finance Committee.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Medical Care Commission:

*Dr. Ashley Lloyd of Raleigh as a dentist. Lloyd is the owner of Ashley Lloyd DDS PLLC. She is affiliated with the American Dental Society, the American Association of Cosmetic Dentists, and is a fellow with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Catawba/Wateree River Basin Advisory Commission:

*Andrew Kota of Morganton as a person from a nonprofit land conservation trust operating within the North Carolina portion of the river basin. Kota is the executive director of Foothills Conservatory of North Carolina. He has over fifteen years of experience in natural resource protection, conservation partnerships, and ecological research. Kota is also a member of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Interagency Council for Coordinating Homeless Programs:

*Samuel Gunter of Durham as a North Carolina Housing Coalition representative. Gunter is the executive director of the North Carolina Housing Coalition. He also sits on the Advocacy Committee of Habitat for Humanity International, and the Board of Directors of both Habitat for Humanity of North Carolina and the Council of Independent State Housing Associations.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Radiation Protection Commission:

*Dr. Pat Dougherty of Wake Forest as a practicing licensed podiatrist knowledgeable in the clinical application of radiation. Dougherty is a podiatrist at Instride Family Foot & Ankle Center and on staff at other Raleigh area hospitals. He is board-certified in foot surgery, a diplomat of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, and a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Internship Council:

*Dr. Ashley Wells of Leland as a UNC System Representative. Wells is the assistant dean for Community Engagement in the College of Health and Human Services at UNC-Wilmington. She also serves the Center for Healthy Communities and the Center for Clinical Research Workforce Development in the College of Health and Human Services.

*Melissa Parks of Greenville as a UNC System Representative. Parks is the assistant director and internship coordinator for the College of Business Career Center at East Carolina University.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Council on Educational Services for Exceptional Children:

*Kathryn Barnes of Timberlake as an individual with a disability. Barnes is a student at Durham Technical Community College. She is an active member of both the Person County Beekeepers Association and the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association, and has worked as an intern at the Durham Museum of Life & Science.